Mesoamerica/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, is visiting a cluster of ancient temples in a Central American jungle. A robot, Moby, appears suddenly and startles Tim. Standing atop a temple, Moby is dressed like an Aztec chief, with a loin cloth and a large, colorful headdress. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yes, Moby. You look very ferocious. And brave, too, considering all those human sacrifices they used to do up there. Moby looks nervous. He walks slowly down the temple stairs and joins Tim. TIM: Way too easy. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, Where is Mesoamerica? Thanks, Percival. TIM: Well, here's a hint. Meso means "middle" in Greek. MOBY: Beep. TIM: You guessed it. Mesoamerica is the name of a region that's located right in between North America and South America. On a modern-day map, it covers part of southern Mexico and a big chunk of Central America. But Mesoamerica is more than just a place on a map. It's also a culture area. A political map shows the location of Mesoamerica. TIM: That's a term that describes a specific geographical area in which a bunch of different societies have very similar cultures. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Sure, they exist today, but culture areas can also refer to groups of past civilizations that shared similar cultures for long periods of time. And that describes Mesoamerica perfectly. The Spanish colonization of the New World began with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. An animation represents the arrival of Columbus's three ships in the Caribbean. TIM: But for thousands of years before that, some of the most advanced civilizations in the Western Hemisphere rose and fell right here. Among others, these civilizations included the Olmec, the Maya, and the Aztec. Images show an Olmec, a Maya, and an Aztec in traditional dress. TIM: Since they existed before Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, we call them pre-Columbian civilizations. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the Olmec were the earliest, dominating a large area along the Gulf of Mexico and beyond from about 1400 BCE to 400 hundred BCE. A map shows the area of Olmec settlement along the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. TIM: They were known for producing high-quality carvings out of rare substances like jade and obsidian, which they got from faraway lands through an expansive trade network. An image shows two Olmec carvings, one is a face made of jade and one is a fish made of obsidian. TIM: Art and trade were just two of the many advances introduced by the Olmec that paved the way for all the other Mesoamerican civilizations that followed. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the two you've probably heard of are the Maya and the Aztec. The Maya civilization reached its peak between 250 CE and 900 CE, in the area to the east of the Olmec. A map shows the area of Maya settlement in the region Tim describes. TIM: A picture-based writing system, the only fully-developed written language of the Americas, was one of their claims to fame. An image shows examples of the Maya writing system carved into stone. TIM: Centuries later, in 1428, the Aztec peoples established a mighty empire to the west, in the Valley of Mexico. A map shows the area of Aztec settlement in the region Tim describes. TIM: The Aztecs were best known as ferocious warriors, but like the Olmec and Maya, they also built huge cities. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was one of the largest cities in the world, and its pyramid temples are still around today. An image shows a temple in Tenochtitlan, near a lake and mountains. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, all these similarities have a lot to do with something called cultural diffusion. That's the spreading of ideas, customs, languages, and technologies between nearby societies. Images show a light bulb, a human silhouette, a word balloon, and a gear. TIM: With 4,000 years of interaction through trade and war, it's no wonder that Mesoamerican societies developed cultural similarities. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, for example, maize, also known as corn, was first domesticated here and quickly became the staple of every Mesoamerican diet. An image shows a large basket filled with ears of corn, with a cornfield in the background. TIM: Mesoamericans were also good astronomers and mathematicians, and they put their knowledge to use with inventions like a 365 day solar calendar and a number system based on 20. An animation shows a Mesoamerican looking at the night sky, along with examples of the calendar and numbers that Tim describes. TIM: They even shared the same ballgame, played with heavy rubber balls on huge stone courts. An image shows a Mesoamerican playing the ball game Tim describes. TIM: On top of that, many Mesoamericans followed similar religions. They were all polytheistic, meaning they believed in lots of different gods. Astronomy played a major role in their beliefs, and so did a feathered serpent-god called Quetzalcoatl. An animation shows stars in a night sky. A second image shows a drawing of Quetzalcoatl. TIM: Oh, and many of them believed in human sacrifice as a way to release divine energy and continue the cycle of life. Right, Moby? MOBY: Beep. Moby looks nervous and upset. He puts a hand to his mouth. TIM: Relax, you big baby. That doesn't happen anymore. Tim pauses dramatically. TIM: Or does it? MOBY: Beep. Moby becomes frightened. He runs off, beeping, into the distance. Tim smiles. TIM: Just too easy.Category:BrainPOP Transcripts